Love, Justice & the Balance in Between — by Abdullah Khadijah Ibrahim
It is hard to diagnose the sickness of the world since parts of it appear to be suffering from different symptoms. Corruption and injustice are observed to be the root problems that permeate every level of being. If we strive to eradicate corruption and restore justice within ourselves and our families, then perhaps we may be in a better position to solve the greater problems that exist within our countries and environment. This essay delves into details of relationships within families and presents a bird’s eye view of the current situation affecting communities around the world.
Description of Symptoms
Individually, we seem to be suffering from social crisis:
- Depression
- Alienation from society
- Anxiety, sleep disorder
- Loss of purpose
Collectively, we appear to be having an ecological crisis:
- Segregation or division of people living in cities
- Cultures detached from their ancestral lands
- Extractive industries ripping the resources off the Earth
- Overpopulation produces too much waste in cities
The social and ecological crises lead to a worldwide economic crisis with a lack of circulation of our resources and over-accumulation of wealth in certain parts of the world while others are in dire need:
- Urban poor and slum community
- Farmers in the countryside suffering from hunger while being the producers of food
Connecting Symptoms to Roots
If a country was looked upon as a living organism, how might we treat its body with regenerative techniques to restore balance and improve health?
One way is to observe how our bodies undergo detoxification to dispel elements that may cause harm. Countries can start by eradicating corruption to purge evils from within their systems before applying remedies. This process of purification paves the way for regeneration. Ecological, economical and social enterprises are interrelated just as problems of the body are interconnected. When humans are corrupted, resources become poorly managed and the country as a whole starts to develop problems. Chronic conditions usually surface after a long period of corruption. These symptoms cannot be cured unless humans acknowledge the problems, realise the root cause, and decide to make corrections.
Individuals make up families that create societies which contribute to a nation and a country’s well-being. To restore wealth to a country, we can look at the health of its people. Let’s start by exploring the individual and identifying the two main forms of corruption. The roots of evil that manifest in humans are greed and arrogance. If these roots are treated, the other forms of corruption that stem from them are naturally reduced or eliminated. Greed accumulates from desires and arrogance comes from pride. Desires are intrinsic to humans but pride is acquired. To live as humans, we need dignity but not pride. Pride develops in the heart when we lack gratitude. Countries lose their purpose and direction when their people lose dignity and become greedy or arrogant.
Spreading the Problem
Knowing what can corrupt individuals, we shall explore how families are affected. Let’s explore two types of relationships, and try to find the connection. Firstly, in parental relationships, inter-generational parents and children connect by blood and they are genetically similar. Logically speaking, corruption in parents transfer to their children and grandchildren just as genes are passed down the generations. However, as they suffer from symptoms and various types of crises, they inevitably face crossroads. It is up to the individual to remove himself from corruption and decide what he should follow based on his conscience. Anyone with a good conscience will eventually find the truth and an answer to the root of his suffering. A person doesn’t need to cut family ties, but he needs to separate right from wrong.
Secondly, in marriages, singular families are linked to form extended clans or tribes. These individuals may not be connected by blood but negative thinking and cultural bias can corrupt their minds as well. If people condone corruption and maintain silence, they encourage the perpetrators to continue their corruption of the good. To avoid this, individuals often choose to move away from entire communities to re-establish themselves elsewhere, in search of justice and truth. Families were observed to separate not only because of lifestyles and cultural beliefs but also due to different perceptions of life’s purpose. For some, justice and fairness are necessities for well-being, just as air and water are needed for survival. But in other cases, people may be blinded by their greed or arrogance and become driven by motivations that thrive on excess, negativity and bias. These are symptoms of imbalance.
Both parental relationships and marriages maintain the stability of human societies. When societies disintegrate in the form of broken marriages and relationships, the climate changes in our environment and becomes hostile and intolerant. In other words, the poor external environment may well be a reflection of our broken internal states. It is difficult for a person who cannot care less for another human to care about nature and his surroundings. Similarly, a person who cares a lot about animals and nature cannot ignore the needs of his own family and children.
The Cure to Problems
How can we rebuild these fundamental relationships in our societies? What is the most important thing that we need to establish healthy relationships? The answer is Trust.
Trust is the invisible bond that ties a family together. It is the natural inclination of all children towards their parents. Trust is also the bridge that links people to past generations. We trust and therefore we follow. If there is no trust, individuals become lost due to the lack of guidance. As we question, ‘How is my relationship with my parents and my siblings?’, we start to reconnect with ourselves and review our experiences with our family members. If there was justice, trust is established and peace prevails in us and our homes. A child’s trust in parents can be broken in an environment where the child sees a lack of justice between father and mother, siblings, or parents and grandparents. This aids corruption and leads to mistrust and separation.
Trust is also the foundation of a good marriage. A man or woman may question, ‘Do I honour the values of mutual respect and partnership when I am interacting with my spouse?’ He or she may not always feel love in marriage but if they value respect and try to fulfil the rights of their spouses, peace and harmony triumph. A covenant based on trust is thus maintained and order is established within the household. The marriage between a husband and wife forms an overarching shelter that protects the family while providing peace and security that are needed for further development. If a person cannot find peace within one’s marriage or one’s own home, then where else in the world will the person be able to find that deep sense of belonging and fulfilment that he or she needs as a human?
Our Future is Related to The Cure
An intact family with tight bond, forms stability and produces positive energy to promote a self-sustaining environment. External factors such as war, disruption, hunger or strife may challenge such relationships from time to time, but if trust is present, they will not be broken. Broken families, on the other hand, creates individuals who mistrust themselves and others, experiencing chronic insecurity and fear throughout their lives. This in turn promotes parasitic behaviours that feed on the energy of others for survival which is unsustainable in the long run. As more and more parents divorce and families separate, a fearful and unstable pattern emerges in our societies. Realizing this reality, it is up to us to choose honesty over pride to revert to purity and truth.
Drawing important connections between humans, society and the environment is fundamental to solving the world’s problems in a holistic way. When we fail to connect the dots, we may get lost in a web of interrelated problems and become uncertain of how we can change to improve the situation. Families form societies and societies exist within an environment, all of which are interconnected. Nothing survives in a vacuum. All living organisms have a history and a form of awareness. This is a fact for all living things within nature, especially humans. When we do justice to ourselves by looking after the parts that we have neglected or corrupted, we restore the health and vitality of our spirits and purify our minds. Life is a positive act that requires all beings to give and take. As long as we clarify ourselves and become positive individuals who reciprocates and share goodness, this energy can change people and the society around us.
This article was originally published at https://medium.com/@abdullah.khadijah.ibrahim on January 1, 2023.
About the Writer
Abdullah Khadijah Ibrahim (Medium)
Khadijah is a window gardener, trained designer and full-time mum. She enjoys the great outdoors and is an avid cyclist and explorer. She has experience in solo backpacking and travels extensively to many countries to learn about history, geography and culture. Khadijah is a Chinese Muslim who reverted to Islam in 2017 and is currently based in sunny Singapore.
